A Mitakihara Midsummer's Melody
by Shades 0f Dawn
Summary: A multi-chapter Collab with Larkabel - Just any other summer day with the Puella Magi of Mitakihara City. Kyouko tries to get Sayaka's attention, Homura plans her day with Madoka, and Mami pulls the strings behind it all.
1. Chapter 1: The Fellowship

Chapter 1: The Fellowship

_(Collab by Larkabel and Shades 0f Dawn - Team Maple Syrup)_

**Shades 0f Dawn - Hey! I'm finally back from the dark, unforgiving depths of school! In case anyone was worried if I had died the past five months, I decided to update with a Collab Larkabel and I have been working on for some time. She's an extremely talented writer (I was very excited to work with her!), so go to her profile and check out her stories! And in case you're wondering about the strange timing of a summer fanfic when winter's approaching (for us Northern Hemisphere people, anyways), well... uh, only seven more months until summer! Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Larkabel - Hellooo~! I guess I'm not quite dead either. (Only mostly dead.) Anyways, make sure to thank Kaede for making this happen in the first place, and go check out her stories while you're at it. Apart from being a great writer, she's so much more productive than myself and put a lot into this fic. So go do it. And hopefully you also enjoy this tiny snippet of summer.**

* * *

It was a summer day in a sunbathed Mitakihara City.

The temperature was warming up as the mellow spring rains gave way to sluggish summer days. The sunshine peeking over the docile clouds was a promise of futurity for good weather. The warm colors of the season - honey gold, sky blue, and forest green - all melted with one another across the usual cityscape.

It was the time of summer when the parks rang with excited voices and the clear, brilliantly blue sky was colorfully dotted with stray kites that drifted along the lazy breeze. Ice cream trucks, along with the pursuing mobs of delighted children, were stopped at what seemed like almost every street corner. All in all, it was a...

"...perfect, summer day." Sayaka finished with a longing sigh. Her eyes, vividly cerulean like the sparkling, picturesque oceans they yearned to see, slowly flickered open as she returned to her drab surroundings. The brief, reminiscent smile on her face quickly gave way to a sardonic grimace as she folded her arms. "So what am I doing in here?!"

Her voice echoed loudly within the dark, deserted classroom as Kyouko, the only other individual in the room, barely glanced up from the small, shabby television in the corner to acknowledge her distress. As expected, the latter's prompt solution was tactlessly straightforward.

"If you're that bored, why don't you just leave?"

Sayaka hung her head and sighed dejectedly. The fact that Kyouko's statement sounded so convincing didn't help. Taking care to avoid setting her elbows in the piles of chipped pencil lead and eraser shavings that had long since begun to accumulate on the surface of her desk, she sullenly settled her face in her arms. "I wish I could..."

Her gaze momentarily alighted towards the front of the room, where the words "Study Hall" had been hurriedly scrawled on the chalkboard. The teacher's desk was bare as she, too, had long since rushed off into the inviting summer weather. In fact, the school was practically empty save for the two of them. The lights were turned off in an effort to conserve power, so the faint, yet beckoning sunlight that trickled through the windows provided the only source of light in the otherwise dim room.

When Sayaka was younger, she had always found the notion of exploring an empty school exciting. There was something about the eerie tranquility of the deserted building, once filled with the usual chatter of conversation, that had ignited her adventurous spirit. Of course, Sayaka had coerced a reluctant Madoka to tag along on such occasions. Much to her amusement, the subsequent light-hearted pranks and squeals of fright were almost too easy to pull off.

But the truth about an staying in an empty school turned out to be the same then as it was now - the grass always seems greener on the other side.

"Aghh!" Sayaka scratched her head in frustration as her disregarded pencil clattered onto the floor. The continents of text and formulas in her textbook started to blur and make her head spin. "Why do I have to do this anyways?! I barely failed one test!"

"_Two_, actually." Kyouko corrected, auspiciously taking the opportunity to finally glance up. The smug, teasing smirk deeply etched in her face made it seem like she had been waiting to savor this moment forever. "And y'know, if you'd studied a little each day instead of cramming the night before-"

_Don't act like you didn't have anything to do with it_, Sayaka wanted to blurt out in bitter frustration. It _was_ mostly Kyouko's fault, after all. The day before the midterms, the ever-restless redhead had basically dragged her all around the city for her own satisfaction. They had wasted so much time at that arcade, and then that restaurant, and that party… But the more Sayaka reflected, the more she slowly realized how easily she had let herself be distracted. She had been trying to escape reality. And it wasn't like she had really disliked Kyouko's company that day either...

So instead, Sayaka simply silenced Kyouko with an indignant frown. "I don't want to hear that from someone who doesn't even go to school."

Kyouko laughed, wisely opting not to tease Sayaka any further, as her attention flickered back to the television. In the silence that followed, Sayaka let her gaze wander towards her companion with a hint of unease. She hadn't asked her to tag along - she hadn't even let her know about her situation - and yet, Kyouko had still stayed beside her with some sort of unspoken, nonchalant sense of obligation. The gesture was harmless and friendly enough, but strange nonetheless. Not that she didn't want Kyouko here, but it made it increasingly difficult to concentrate. _I wonder if she feels the same way._ Sayaka frowned, lapsing into deep thought. _It's not like she's gaining anything by staying here anyways..._

"Never mind that," Sayaka finally said, closing her textbook as if that would erase all of the unfinished math problems. Or at least the childish doodles in the margins of a textbook she realized she would soon have to return. "What are you doing here? If someone finds out that you aren't from this school-"

"Relax, would you?" Kyouko waved a half-hearted, dismissive hand, though her attention was still glued to the screen. The images from the television danced across her unblinking, crimson eyes. "No one's gonna care. I'm just trying to watch the game. And no one's even here besides us anyways."

Silently debating whether to expend useless energy to continue the argument or admit that Kyouko might actually be right, Sayaka craned her head for a better look. "What's the score?"

"Fifteen nil."

Sayaka sighed exasperatedly. As boring as studying was, it wasn't like watching a lopsided baseball match was any more interesting. _To think that I could've been at the beach with Madoka_, she thought ruefully. _The fact that she's probably being led around by that Akemi Homura right now kinda pisses me off..._

Unclenching her subconsciously tightened fists, Sayaka asked: "Why are you still watching?"

Her question prompted Kyouko to shrug and fold her arms behind her head. "Oh, I dunno. I guess its in my nature to be drawn to watching pitiful things." Kyouko's crimson eyes seemed to scrutinize Sayaka as a teasing smirk slowly spread across her face. "Kinda like _you_ right now."

"Oh, hush-" Sayaka felt her cheeks grow hot as she pouted and looked away in embarrassment, much to the delighted amusement of her companion. "Just you watch. I'll be out of here in no time!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Kyouko dug around in her pocket and pulled out another pack of snacks, using the motion to conceal her muted snickering. "Looks like I was right when I thought it'd be fun to watch you."

Kyouko's statement was answered by Sayaka sticking her tongue out at her as the latter returned to her dull routine of poring over endless pages. Soon enough, the room was back to its usual silence - the hollow ticking of the clock and faint chirping of cicadas acting as the only accompaniments to the duo's serene summer melody. Occasionally, the usual summer sounds - the sharp, high-pitched staccato of a faraway bat hitting a baseball or distant chorus of friendly conversations - would drift through the open windows.

But it was quiet. Too quiet, especially for a summer day. And as Kyouko watched the score skyrocket to the tune of twenty-five to nothing, she began to realize that soon, she wouldn't be able to contain herself any longer.

"Aghh!" This time it was Kyouko who scratched her head in frustration as the next home run made the score a thirty-point differential. "What _am_ I doing here?!"

Sayaka calmly brought her palm to her face and tried to pretend that she hadn't almost jumped out of her seat. "That's exactly what I asked you a minute ago."

"Hmm..." A few seconds passed as Kyouko pondered her next move. Then, "I'm bored. Let's go somewhere."

Sayaka had to firmly grab her chair to avoid falling out as she doubled over. "You're _bored_?! _You're_ bored?! What happened to _'I'm staying here to watch you'_?"

"Alright, that settles it!" Ignoring Sayaka's remarks, Kyouko promptly turned off the television and strode over to her, grabbing her by the wrist. "This place sucks, so we're going somewhere else."

"No one asked you to stay here in the first place," Sayaka countered haughtily, fidgeting nervously in her seat when she felt the warmth from Kyouko's body as the latter leaned closer in an intimate gesture.

"Well yeah," Kyouko conceded, then proceeded to playfully poke Sayaka's blushing cheeks as the former's teasing smirk returned at the expense of the latter's embarrassment. "But I swear you seemed a bit happier when I told you I'd stay with you."

"That's not-" Predictably, Sayaka averted her gaze, determined not to let her flusteredness show.

"Not what?" Kyouko prodded expectantly as Sayaka withdrew her hand from her grasp, sighing.

"Look, I appreciate the offer... but I've got stuff to finish. Maybe some other time?" Sayaka softly offered. Her tone held no trace of unease, much to Kyouko's surprise. Or even exasperation, for that matter. It was… guilty? Kyouko was left puzzling over the sudden change as Sayaka dutifully returned to her studies.

_What's her problem?_ Kyouko wondered, slightly irked. She mulled it over on another bag of chips, chewing with frustration. _I even skipped my favorite show just to stay with her in this stupid building. And watch a TV that has three channels. THREE! And two of them are in black and white! You'd think she'd give me a little attention at least..._

When Sayaka continued to ignore her, Kyouko's face clouded with disappointment. She glumly rested her cheeks in her hands and pouted in the faint hope that it would incite some sympathy from Sayaka. "Jeez, you're no fun Sayaka. Even though I stayed here with you…"

Her lackluster pleads barely prompted Sayaka to glance up from her textbook. "Don't try to guilt trip me now."

Annoyed, Kyouko gave an ambivalent shrug. "Why don't you just ditch this place? It's not like anyone'll notice anyways."

Sayaka remained nonplussed. "And who's gonna take my make-up test for me?"

Kyouko waved it off dismissively, though it was obvious she hadn't thought that far. At least she had Sayaka's attention again. "I'm sure you'll figure that out when it comes to that. Instead of worrying about stuff like homework and tests, life is about having fun. How does that saying go? You live only once?"

"It's you only live- ...never mind." Sayaka interrupted her retort with an exasperated sigh, as if to say that Kyouko would never be able to understand the pressures of school. "Besides, that's easy for you to say. Some of us actually care about our grades and future."

"Your future, huh?" Frowning in thought, Kyouko tried to imagine what more there was to life besides eating pocky sticks, freeloading off of Mami, and teasing Sayaka. There was the feeling of regret when she realized that inevitably, she'd never again see Sayaka in a school uniform, at the very least. Was coping with that what it meant to be an adult? "Well, my future is pretty much secure."

"Oh really?" Sayaka seemed to be more surprised with Kyouko's confidence than condescendingly sarcastic.

"Yeah, I'll just have you and Mami feed me for the rest of my life. So, you should work hard so that I don't have to!"

A pained smile spread across Sayaka's darkened face. "You know-"

"I'm in your care, Sayaka!" Kyouko closed her eyes and grinned, putting on the most innocent expression she could muster. "Please take good care of me!"

_How can you say something like that so easily?_ Sayaka marvelled, internally cringing with captivation at Kyouko's cute antics. The way Kyouko looked and acted sometimes somewhat reminded her of a small animal. Like a stray cat. The thought of domesticating and then doting on her almost made Sayaka laugh - the thought of Kyouko wearing a collar and drinking milk from a dish while meowing almost sent her over the edge. Maybe she'd bring in some cat ears the next day...

"Besides," Kyouko added with a hint of pride, completely oblivious to Sayaka's fantasies. "I'm pretty smart too. I did graduate from elementary school, after all."

"Really?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Sayaka glanced down at her math textbook as she scanned the pages for a particularly difficult problem. "Then, what's 56 times 24?"

"Seven hundred and ten." Kyouko quickly answered without batting an eye.

"..._Seriously?_" Sayaka deadpanned, quickly realizing she wasn't smart enough to compute the equation in her head. Of course, she wasn't about to let Kyouko know that. "Not bad, I guess."

"Told ya'," Kyouko grinned as her ego swelled. "Call me _Sakura-Sensei_ already!"

Like Sayaka would ever admit to her supposed intellectual superiority. She shook her head, returning to the situation at hand. "Well, regardless of how smart you think you are, I still need to stay here to study for my test."

Kyouko frowned. "You're _still_ going on about that?"

"I'm pretty sure I already explained this to you."

"Tch," Kyouko sighed irritably, finally losing interest in her companion. "Fine. I guess I'll go to Mami's place or something. At least _she_ knows how to have fun sometimes."

"Like I said-!"

"See ya later," Kyouko started off towards the door, scornfully waving back. "Have fun with your test while I go fill up on Mami's cakes."

"Yeah, fine." Sayaka said dryly, watching Kyouko leave. "And don't you dare eat all of the-!"

But Kyouko had already left, leaving Sayaka all alone in the dark classroom.

* * *

Grumbling to herself, Kyouko left the school with an overbearing headache, feeling immensely bored. As she walked out from the cool, dark building, the ever glaring rays of sunlight and sweat-inducing humidity that instantly greeted her certainly didn't help.

"So hot..." Kyouko complained to no one in particular, fanning herself with a book she had swiped from the classroom.

Before long, she had wandered to a nearby park bench. With her good mood and most of her energy having been evaporated in the heat, Kyouko slumped down with half-lidded eyes sullenly gazing straight ahead.

A faint rustling beside her feet caught her attention, and she reached down to pick up a stray magazine before it skidded away in the warm breeze. A certain golden-haired girl posed in graceful elegance and smiled dazzlingly up at her from the cover.

_Wonder what she's been up to lately…_ Kyouko thought to herself as she idly thumbed through the pages.

Of course, she didn't really plan on spending time with Mami. She had only said that because, other than occasionally killing time at the arcade, there was nothing else she did besides hang out with Sayaka. But Kyouko wouldn't readily let her know that.

Annoyed and disappointed in herself for leaving without convincing Sayaka to pass the day with her, Kyouko sucked in an exasperated sigh. Of course, it was partly Sayaka's fault too, Kyouko affirmed. The blue-haired girl always had some excuse or justification to be doing something else with someone else. Even now, she still committed all of her time to school. Kyouko was foolish to think that anything would have changed when summer began. And with autumn approaching on the horizon, her chances to voice her desires were quickly slipping away.

But instead of worrying, Kyouko tilted her head up to gaze wistfully into the vividly blue sky. Maybe this was fine too - to let these mundane days slowly drift by like the distant clouds. Perhaps it was better this way. But even so, she wasn't naive enough to miss the obvious discomfort in Sayaka - like there was something bothering her. Like she held a hidden sadness.

_But what am I supposed to do about it?_ Kyouko wondered, justifying herself. _It's her fault she's forcing herself too much. It's not like I could convince her otherwise, anyways..._

"H-Hey, Sayaka..." Mustering up her courage, Kyouko bashfully glanced nearby as if the girl in question was sitting beside her. "Do you wanna... p-play with me?"

The only answer she received was the rustling of leaves in the warm breeze and a few curious sidelong stares from casual passbyers.

"Aagghh! I can't say it!" Kyouko grabbed her head in humiliation, blushing furiously at her shameful attempt. "How embarrassing would _THAT_ be?! I'd never hear the end of it!"

"But you want to spend time with her, right?"

"W-Well, yeah..." Kyouko quietly conceded, before realizing that something was awry. She gave a sudden start and quickly snapped her head to the side, recognizing Mami calmly sitting beside her on a spot that had been previously empty a few seconds earlier. "Woah! W-When'd you get here?!"

"Just now," Mami reassured a blushing Kyouko, though the patronizing smile she wore didn't help. Her sudden presence invigorated the lackadaisical girl with a newfound, defensive energy - similar to the primal impulse of fear a prey senses when its predator is lurking nearby.

"W-What are you doing here?" Kyouko asked nervously, instantly wondering how much of her performance Mami had witnessed. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as an icy chill ran up her spine. The only person that could consistently make her feel uncomfortable was right next to her. Not that the usually kind and generous older girl was normally a shady person. She was kind enough to lend Kyouko a place to stay, at the very least. Not to mention that her cooking was top-class, and she always had some delicious treat for her eager roommate after spending hours honing her culinary skills to rival even the fancy, pricey pastry shops only found in the upper-class section of Mitakihara - the ones with the lavish, enticing displays that Kyouko could only longing gaze at with her mouth watering.

But it was that obvious, all-too-familiar look of _'I'm bored, so I want something amusing to do'_ that made Kyouko uneasy. There had been unfortunate instances in the past where similar circumstances coupled with a naive trust in a supposedly reliable senpai, sometimes with the seductive promise of food, had led to distressing and oftentimes utterly embarrassing consequences, and she was determined not to repeat history. As such, her dignity and sanity lay with her ability to level-headedly navigate out of this suddenly precarious situation.

"Just enjoying the scenery," Mami coyly explained her alibi, seemingly unaware of the redhead's inner turmoil and conviction. "Anyways, calm down - I just wanted someone to talk to. So, what's the matter?"

"Uh, what's what matter?" Kyouko mumbled evasively, focusing her attention on the ground as if the truth was evident in her eyes. The brief emphasis Mami put on the word _'someone'_ made her wonder if she had been specifically targeted.

"You were talking about Miki-san, weren't you?"

_She's onto me,_ Kyouko realized with dread. Hoping with lost optimism that she could somehow wriggle her way out of this one, she kept her poker face. "...Was I?"

A razor-thin smile spread across Mami's face as Kyouko inwardly cringed. "Don't try to fool me, Sakura-san. You're not being very honest with yourself, are you?"

"...Okay, maybe a little. But don't get any wrong ideas-"

"Where's Miki-san?" Mami asked in a conversational manner, expectantly looking around with a puzzled expression as if the person in question was supposed to be here.

"She's... Wait, hold on-" Kyouko arched an eyebrow, feeling uncomfortably patronized. "Why're you making it sound like we're always together?"

"You're not?"

"_Hell_ no!" Kyouko exclaimed, clearly irked by the genuine surprise in Mami's voice.

Mami dissolved into laughter, taking the opportunity to casually sidle closer which prompted a wary Kyouko to scoot further away. "Well, well, all joking aside, I think it would be delightful if everyone spent some time together."

"R-Right..." Kyouko wasn't sure if she liked where this conversation was heading. She knew from prior experience that whenever Mami suggested something seemingly innocent, there was always some other motive lurking behind that otherwise cheerful expression. Things could turn troublesome in an instant.

"So, in that case, I believe I have a fantastic proposition!" Mami proclaimed, her enthusiasm rushing back as she scooted closer.

"W-What?" Kyouko inched away again. Quite obviously, she didn't share Mami's enthusiasm, instead trembling with apprehension.

Mami pointed towards the clear, blue sky as she continued to slide closer. "In order to experience the joys of youthful vitality, we should all go on a vacation."

"We… what? B-But aren't you busy with modelling nowadays?" Stalling for time, Kyouko tried to move away again, but the feel of metal against her side made her realize that she had reached the end of the bench. With no other alternative, she silently calculated how long she would last if she took off running in a dead sprint. She was definitely faster than Mami. True, the throbbing pain in her ankle when she had frustratedly kicked the TV earlier in the classroom would slow her down, but the high-heels the older girl was wearing would outweigh that disadvantage. She could easily lose Mami by slipping into the network of alleyways and then crashing at a hotel for a day or two. Then she'd come back to Mami, and they'd laugh about the whole matter over a cup of tea and some cake. Maybe, just maybe, if she could divert Mami's attention for even a fraction of a second, then-

"And so!" Mami pointed at Kyouko as she trapped the hapless girl. "You and Miki-san should come as well!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Why should _I_ have to go?" With nowhere to go, Kyouko frantically brought her hands up to shield herself, already mentally drafting her will as her short life flashed before her eyes. She'd give her leftover stash of snacks to Madoka, because she'd always struck her as relatively frail, and then her collection of games and manga to Sayaka, because most of them probably used to be hers anyways, and then those yoga tickets she had randomly found on the street yesterday to Homura, because... well, she needed to chill out sometimes. It would be good therapy for her anyways - something she always looked like she could use.

Mami's face was wrought with that same, puzzled expression from earlier. "Well... Miki-san will be there-"

"Enough of that!" Kyouko demanded vehemently, temporarily forgetting her predicament in lieu of defending her dignity. "And what makes you think Sayaka will go anyways?"

"You could ask her-"

Kyouko sighed and slumped over. As the excitement of the moment passed, her headache had started to return. Somehow, inexplicably, the two of them had gone full circle. "So we're back to square one, huh? And where would we go?"

"Hmm..." Mami pursed her lips as she mulled it over. For all of her enthusiasm and crafty way with words, Kyouko was surprised that she didn't have an immediate plan. "Perhaps we should take a vacation in my summer home."

Kyouko gave Mami a skeptic look, layered with a tinge of envy. "You have a summer house? Seriously?"

But instead of answering immediately, Mami whipped out her phone, quickly pressed a few buttons, and then glanced back at Kyouko with a faintly satisfied smile. "Now I do."

"Ah, right." Kyouko sighed as she remembered the astounding fame and wealth of the person she was talking to. A world-class model, no less. Her answering machine was loaded with thousands upon thousands of messages, many of them from other celebrities with household names for crying out loud. "Sorry for asking such a stupid question."

It was amazing, really, for Kyouko to think about the person she was living with - to the point where she almost wanted to blurt out _'That's my roommate!'_ to everyone she saw reading a fashion magazine, in the faint hope that some of the admiration and wealth would pour onto her as well. Then maybe she could finally get her hands on those expensive, high-class pastries...

"The only thing that's left is for you to ask Miki-san!" Mami blissfully continued, clapping her hands together the way she always did when everything was going according to her plans.

"Why are you getting so excited over this?" Kyouko muttered sullenly, though her eyes narrowed in thought. Although she looked like she lacked the willingness and energy to deprive Mami of her amused satisfaction by this point, her mind still raced for an opportunity to escape.

"Because it's funn-" Mami subtly caught herself put on a sly smile, feigning sincerity. "Because it's fun!"

"Ah, is that so?" Kyouko said, using the cover of indignant irritation to stand up to leave. When Mami didn't immediately stop her, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and congratulated herself on her tenacity and focus to overcome this predicament. "Well, don't bother. And besides, I never said I'd go-"

"Now, wait a moment," Mami quickly said, placing a hand on Kyouko's shoulder as the latter noticeably flinched. "I have a plan for that."

"...A plan?" Her curiosity piqued, Kyouko stopped and turned. She just hoped her keen interest didn't show on her face.

"Of course." Mami's lips twisted in a devious smile, looking for all the world like a predator that had its prey successfully cornered after employing deliberately nuanced and effective traps. "Listen carefully, and just do what I'm about to say..."

* * *

Homura couldn't have been any happier.

At the moment, she was in downtown Mitakihara, surrounded by the resplendent sights and sounds of summer. Certainly being outside in this balmy weather had a soothing, remediating effect on the mind and body after spending day after day cooped up in a stuffy classroom or at home. Although Homura was generally an indoors person, preferring the company of her books over anything that required physical exertion, she too could relate to the impulsive phenomena of having your excitement triggered every time the splendidly shining sun rolled out from behind the clouds to awaken an enticing, new day. But it wasn't just the warm seasonal weather that had her excited, nor the fact that school had become a distant memory.

It was the person she was with. As Madoka strolled alongside her down the sidewalk, Homura hummed to herself.

_I, Akemi Homura, am spending the whole day with Madoka!_ Homura inwardly exclaimed, trembling in excitement when she could barely contain her feverish restlessness. With the responsibilities of school and other external issues, the two of them had not had the time to interact often. However, now that it was summer, things were different.

_It had been a long time coming as well_, Homura reflected with a touch of pique, though she conceded that there were certain protocols that had to be followed. She should have introduced herself to Madoka's parents, making sure to bring a welcoming gift and pay attention to her manners. After leaving a good impression of a responsible and studious school girl, not to mention a close friend of Madoka, she would then request their permission to spend time with their daughter. That was how she would have normally done it.

But it was summer - a new season would inevitably invoke new changes to an individual's demeanour and personality. Realizing that she was too impatient to wear her usual, polite facade, Homura had instead allured a gullible and amenable Madoka into leaving the house to elope with her for the day.

As Homura continued to stroll down the sidewalk, she inwardly chucked. _Oh, I am such a bad girl..._

And then there was also that whole issue concerning how to take Miki Sayaka out of the picture. But even that had already seemingly been taken care of by an unwitting Kyouko.

_Everything is going perfectly to plan_, Homura thought in triumph, letting an uncharacteristically villainous smirk contort her lips. _I even managed to get rid of that annoying third-wheeler, Miki Sayaka! I didn't even have to infiltrate the school to change her test scores - she failed on her own! It's as if the goddesses of fate and luck have decided to look down on me with favor for a change. Madoka is now mine!_

Homura took a moment to give a passing glance in a nearby store window, catching a brief glimpse of herself. It was odd, indeed, for someone like her to be this excited. After all, her usual cold and emotionless countenance had never given the slightest suggestion that there was another warmer side of her deep down. Homura herself had been surprised by her change in attitude - the almost unnoticeable, nuanced bounce in her step and softened expression would have normally never existed. But the surprise was a pleasant one, and Homura relished the raw, honest emotion of simply being content. After all, today was going to be her special day with Madoka!

"You look happy, Homura-chan," Madoka innocently observed, wondering if there was something different about the normally composed girl on this particular day. "Did something good happen?"

"Well..." Homura tried her best to suppress her excitement, though a faint smile slipped out. Emboldened by the current success of her plan and armed with the money she had been saving the past month just for this day, she was brimming with uncanny, even arrogant, confidence. "You could say that, I suppose. By the way, you still haven't finished your summer homework yet, have you?"

"Ehhh-?!" Reminded by that troublesome fact, Madoka tried her best to look mature and more adult-like - as if to protest that she was old enough to handle her own problems - in the still-childish way Homura always found endearing. "I'll do it later!"

Homura sighed in an attempt to look calm and collected, giving into Madoka's pleading look. "I suppose it can't be helped. I'll help you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Homura-chan! You're the best!" Madoka beamed as Homura nodded curtly, inwardly bursting with self-satisfaction.

"Ahh, it's so hot!" Madoka exclaimed after they had reached the park, fanning herself.

Homura glanced at her, noting her flushed cheeks, before agreeing: "Indeed it is."

Madoka gave Homura a curious, studying glance that was tinted with a hint of childish jealousy. "How can you be so calm in this weather?"

"I have slow blood circulation, so I become cold more easily." Homura explained. Inwardly, her excitement continued to bubble. _Madoka thinks I'm cool! Everything's going well so far!_

"Would you like a drink?" Homura casually asked as they stopped by a nearby vending machine.

"Ah, okay-" Madoka started to reach for change until she was stopped by Homura.

"Don't worry," Homura flipped her hair, mustering the most casual, cool demeanour she could. "I'll pay."

"Really? Thanks, Homura-chan!" Madoka beamed.

As Homura started to insert the coins into the machine, her lips curved upwards in a triumphant smile over her successful endeavor. _Ahh, thank you summer, for letting this special day happen. Thank you, weather, for being so nice - the countless hours I spent last night making and hanging those teru teru bozu's were all worth it. Thank you, Miki Sayaka, for being so conveniently dimwitted. Thank you, vending machine, for letting this opportunity-_

Homura had just pressed the button when the drink started its descent, but became wedged at the last second. She spent the next several seconds blankly staring through the glass as her mind tried to make sense of the current situation.

"Ah, it's stuck." Madoka observed.

Homura clenched her fist in frustration as a slew of choice words ran along the forefront of her mind. _I take that last one back..._

To Madoka, she smiled with infinite patience. "Don't worry, this happens sometimes. You just have to nudge it a little bit."

Still smiling, Homura placed a hand on the side of the vending machine and gave it a push. Complying, the machine shook slightly. But the drink still stayed wedged.

"...You just have to push it, a little..." Homura's smile was growing thin as she gave the vending machine a harder shove. Still nothing.

"...have to force it, sometimes..." By now, Homura was using both hands to forcibly rock the vending machine as it teetered dangerously. But the drink stubbornly remained stuck. The irregular, diagonal pose it was making in-between the metal bindings seemed to be mocking her futile attempts.

"U-Um, Homura-chan..?" Madoka looked unsure, her eyes quickly darting around to make sure that there was no passbyer around to notice their predicament. Luckily, this side of the park was almost free of people. "Maybe you should stop… We could always just buy another one-"

"Ahaha, I see." Homura wasn't smiling now. She had retained her usual emotionless expression, and was coldly glaring at the vending machine before her as if it was an old foe that had returned to challenge her again. "It looks like it has to come to this all along."

"E-Ehhh..?!"

In the blink of an eye, Homura lunged forward and punched the vending machine with all the power she could muster. Finally, from the impact of the blow, the drink dislodged and the satisfying sound of it clattering to the bottom echoed within the machine.

"Wow! That was so awesome, Homura-chan!" Madoka said, clapping her hands together in awe and relieved that no one had gotten hurt. Or caught.

"It was no problem," Homura said as she flipped her hair. Inwardly, she let out a big sigh of relief. _Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose._

Homura retrieved the soda and offered it to a grateful Madoka. However, right before the pink-haired girl was about to accept it, an idea crossed Homura's mind and she stopped her in time.

"Wait, I'll open it for you," Homura said with a generous smile. She flicked open the lid, and then...

Five minutes later, Homura and Madoka were sitting on a park bench. Homura's shirt was drenched, and wads of wet paper towels were all scattered around her.

"Should I get some more towels, Homura-chan?" Madoka asked worriedly, wondering why she looked so heartbroken. In the end, it was just a shirt, wasn't it…?

"No," Homura closed her eyes in defeat, veiling her utter humiliation beneath her calm countenance. Just a few minutes earlier, she had had the surprise of her life as the can, upset by Homura's blows, emptied its contents unto her face. "...I think that's enough for now."

When Madoka had left to dispose of the trash, Homura glowered at the can that had committed the grievance and flung it away in disgust. _To think that I could have witnessed a flustered, embarrassed Madoka with wet clothes!_ She thought in rueful frustration. _If only I hadn't opened it myself! But what am I supposed to do with this now? Drown my sorrows in soda?!_

"Should we get ice-cream instead?" Madoka offered when she had returned, her tone underlaid with a hint of pity.

"Yes, let's do that instead," Homura said, sighing. After a quick trip to the nearest ice-cream vendor, she continued on her trip with Madoka, albeit mellowed. Even the fact that they were walking hand-in-hand didn't seem to raise her spirits all that much.

_How did it turn out this way?_ Homura lapsed into bitter thought. _After all the effort I put into planning our day, to think that it would be undermined by some vending machine-!_

"Ahh, this is so refreshing!" Madoka exclaimed as she took a lick from her ice-cream.

"Mm..." Homura nodded distractedly, still deep in thought.

Madoka looked at her in uncertainty. To think that the raven-haired girl had been so excited earlier in the day... "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry." Returning to the situation at hand, Homura calmly smiled to reassure her fretful companion. "I was just thinking about something."

"Oh." Madoka nodded. Then, a contemplative look crossed her face. "Hmm..."

Homura noted the change in her companion's expression with an air of curiosity. "What is it, Madoka?"

"Oh, um, I was just wondering how everyone else was doing." Madoka said, fidgeting guiltily. "I'm sorry. Even though you took the time to spend time with me today, which I'm really, really thankful for, I'm letting myself be distracted. It's just that when I think about how Sayaka-chan is stuck in school still-"

"Don't worry about that," Homura said, casually shrugging it off though she felt a sting of remorse for almost dishonestly undermining Madoka's friend. But just because Madoka was worried, she told herself. Not because she really cared about that always mistrustful, bothersome Miki Sayaka. "If I'm correct, Sakura Kyouko should be with Miki-san. And Tomoe-san also told me that she would watch over the two."

"Oh, that's good," Madoka said, feeling much better when she heard that Sayaka would at least have some company. Kyouko's presence worried her slightly, but if Mami, a responsible senpai, was there, then everything had to be alright. "Mami-san will look after them, won't she?"

"Yes, that's correct. Tomoe-san will… watch… over them." Homura trailed off, inwardly cringing when she considered that unenviable situation. If someone could ruin her carefully, painstakingly, formulated plans, it was that woman. _My apologies, Kyouko, for giving her the tip on your whereabouts. But it was either you or me-!_

"Ooh, Homura-chan, look!" Madoka suddenly released her hand from Homura's grasp as she ran towards a nearby store. She elatedly pointed through the window where a litter of puppies were on display. "Let's go in!"

Homura sighed, but smiled when she saw how happy Madoka was and she acquiescently followed suit. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

When the two of them entered the store, Madoka rushed over to a nearby litter of kittens and focused her attention on the nearest one - a black-furred kitten with white spots.

"Aww," Madoka giggled as the kitten she held in her hands twitched its ears. Eyes sparkling with a newfound vitality and gushing with happiness, she turned to Homura with a smile that could melt hearts. "Isn't it so cute?!"

"Mm," Homura nodded in return. When Madoka had returned her attention to the kittens, Homura buried her face in her hands. _Ahh! You're so cute, Madoka! That ribbon, the clothes you're wearing today, your bashfulness, your innocent expression... I can't control myself any longer! I can't-!_

"Oh, Akemi-san," Mami strode into the store, smiling when she noticed the two girls. "I didn't expect to meet you here."

"..ghh-!" Homura winced at the older girl's sudden entrance. She, too, knew about the infamous antics Mami employed whenever she was looking for something amusing to do to spend time. Of course, she'd justify herself by saying that it was all in good fun and designed to help everyone become closer, but Homura simply could not let her dignity become compromised, especially in front of Madoka. _What terrible timing! And why is she here anyways? Has Kyouko already been finished off?_ Eyeing the unwitting girl's impeccable smile, she involuntarily shuddered._ What a frightening girl..._

Keeping an equally straight face, Homura deduced that it would be best to play along. Mami would never normally enter an animal store - she must've known that they were here. So, there had to be a reason for her interference. If only she could find out what it was before it was too late… Homura inwardly shuddered again when she imagined the valiant fight Kyouko must've put up, only to fall prey in the end. "Hello, Tomoe-san. The weather is nice today, isn't it?"

"Yes..." Mami arched an eyebrow, hesitating as if debating whether or not something was amiss. "...It's rather pleasant."

Homura inwardly smirked. _Being able to act like a cool beauty certainly comes in handy..._

"Mami-san!" Madoka beamed, waving when she noticed her favorite, reliable senpai.

"Hello, Kaname-san," Mami politely smiled back. She indicated towards Madoka's hair. "That ribbon looks cute on you."

A faint blush rose to Madoka's cheek as she gently touched it. "Ehehe... really?"

Mami nodded. "It suits you."

Frowning, Homura cleared her throat to make her presence felt lest Mami forget. "I-I think it looks cute too." She quickly added. She then turned her attention to Mami. "If you were coming, you should have called me."

"Oh, yes. I suppose I should have…" Mami slowly nodded. Confusion clouded her face when she tried to recall if Homura had ever let her know that she was in possession of a phone. "...What was your number, again?"

"It's-"

"Ah, I know!" Madoka said excitedly to Mami. "Do you want to come with us? I'm sure we could all have fun together!"

"Well, that's-" Homura started, frowning.

"I appreciate the offer," Mami said, smiling as Madoka's contagious enthusiasm spread to her. "In fact, I had already invited Sakura-san and Miki-san to my summer house."

"Kyouko…?" Homura thought, momentarily confused. It seemed odd that she would agree to something like this. Was this the result of Mami's manipulation? In that case...

"Would you like to join us on a vacation?" Mami asked an innocently excited Madoka.

"Sure!" Madoka beamed. "I'd love to spend time with everyone!"

So that was it. Mami had preemptively taken control of the situation before Homura even knew it was coming. The older girl's crafty suggestion and initiation of interest in Madoka roused Homura's vexation, and she struggled to reclaim the situation in her favor.

"B-But Madoka-" Homura elegiacally started, her outstretched hand quivering in futile resistance. Her dream of spending the day alone with Madoka was slipping away just as quickly as her composure.

With Mami and Madoka already walking away towards the seemingly distant sunshine outside, Homura racked her brain for an adequate response and an opportunity to intervene.

"I-I apologize Tomoe-san. We're pretty busy, to be honest." Homura finally lied, pretending to look down at her watch impatiently as she deftly intercepted Madoka's path.

"Is that so?" The polite smile on Mami's face never wavered, even when she noticed Homura wasn't wearing a watch. "That's a pity."

"Y-Yeah, so if you'll excuse us," Homura quickly wrapped an arm around a confused Madoka and started to lead her outside and away until...

"I'll make sure there's plenty of opportunities for you and Kaname-san to do all sorts of things together." Mami's soothing voice whispered in Homura's ear. "_Alone._"

"H-Hmm... I see..." Homura whispered back as a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

"After all, I am known as the 'Love Guru' of Mitakihara City."

"_Seriously?!_"

Luckily, Mami hid her amused smile with her hand in time. "Seriously."

"T-Then..." Homura glanced at a still-confused Madoka from the corner of her eyes. "I-I guess just today wouldn't hurt..."

Mami winked. "That's the spirit! So, shall we leave right away?"

There was nothing Homura could do but agree.

* * *

Pacing restlessly in the lonely school hallway, Kyouko let out an anxious sigh. She had always known that maintaining relationships with others required a great deal of patience and effort, whether family or friends. The thought of compromising, struggling through misunderstandings, and finding a medium between conflicting personalities and values had never appealed to her. So, she had lived alone for a good portion of her life, hoping that she would never have to expend that effort and that would be the end of it. But it wasn't.

Kyouko stood before the classroom door and gulped. She narrowed her eyes in the familiar darkness as her mind raced.

_Calm down_, she thought as a bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck. Was it from the outside heat or her inner nervousness? She couldn't tell. _I finally made it here. But..._ Kyouko looked down at the boxed cake that was dangling from her fingers and sighed again, this time in exasperation. _For all of Mami's assurance, how is this supposed to help me? I still don't know what to say or how to start. Maybe this is a bad idea..._

Overcome with anxiety, Kyouko turned and was just about to walk away when her foot caught on a nearby stack of cardboard boxes. She unceremoniously tripped as they noisily tumbled to the ground.

"Kyouko?" Sayaka's puzzled face emerged from around the classroom door when she had heard the commotion. Her attention was drawn towards the scattered pile of boxes, and she noticed that Kyouko was sprawled in the middle of the mess. "I thought you left? What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing!" Kyouko hurriedly sprung to her feet. "I was just... you know-"

"What's this?" Sayaka picked up the box of cake as Kyouko froze.

"A-Ah! Well, that's, uh..." Kyouko started nervously, her face paling. She feebly held out a hand as if she could have stopped Sayaka from discovering her plan at this point. But if she was lucky, the fall might have done a number on the cake, rendering it an indistinguishable mess-

Sayaka opened the box and peered inside, noticing the unscathed pastry resting securely in the bottom. "Cake?" She looked up at Kyouko in surprise, who was in the middle of cursing her bad luck. "What for?"

"W-What for, you ask..?" Kyouko focused her attention on the ground as she blushed and scratched her cheek in thought. Continuing to mentally curse herself for her trembling, unsteady voice, she stuttered out her justification. "W-Well... y-you know... I mean... it's... uh..."

"Pff-!" Sayaka stifled a knowing laugh as she slowly pieced together the unusual situation. Beckoning playfully, she held the door open. "Wanna come in? We can eat this together."

So as a result, a few minutes later, Kyouko found herself sharing cake with Sayaka in a dim classroom.

_What's with this situation...?_ Kyouko thought to herself in-between hesitant bites. She glanced at Sayaka, observing the casual expression on her face. _How am I supposed to ask now?_

"Kyouko?"

"W-What?!" Kyouko jumped and almost choked.

Sayaka leaned forward with a concerned expression. "...Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Kyouko tilted her head, suspiciously examining Sayaka's expression for a hint of knowledge. "O-Oh, uh, of course I am."

"Really?" Sayaka's curious gaze seemed to pierce right through Kyouko. "You were acting kind of strange..."

Kyouko nervously averted her gaze. _D-Does she know...? No, there's no way she could. But after realizing how I've been acting strange, there's a chance that she could've figured out my purpose-_

"Since when did you share food?"

Kyouko hung her head. _THAT'S what she pulls on me? Seriously?!_ "I thought you were busy studying," Kyouko casually pointed out in an attempt tried to divert the conversation. "What happened to that?"

"I'm just taking a break," Sayaka explained. "And besides, weren't you going to Mami's place?"

"Oh, that!" Kyouko nervously smiled as she remembered her incident with the older girl. In hindsight, that hadn't turned out as well as she had hoped. But when had it ever? "She was... busy."

The hesitation in her voice earned her another curious, sidelong glance from Sayaka. "Oh," Sayaka nodded, trying to understand. "I see…"

The two of them fell silent and remained sitting as the seconds agonizingly crawled by.

_I can't take it any longer!_ Kyouko thought, grinding her teeth together in distress. _What am I getting so nervous about? Am I an idiot?! I talk to Sayaka all the time! You wanna come with us, Sayaka? Sure, why not? That's all I've gotta say! ...But wait, come to think of it, I've never really asked her to spend time with me before..._

Kyouko snuck a shy look at Sayaka when she thought she wasn't looking. _S-Sayaka... I-I need you!_ Kyouko blushed furiously and vigorously shook her head. _Like hell I'm gonna say that! What am I thinking?!_

"S-Sayaka!" Kyouko suddenly exclaimed, louder than she had intended.

Sayaka, who was just as startled as Kyouko was, immediately snapped her head up. "W-What is it?"

"D-Do you..? Umm-" Unable to think of what to say next, Kyouko immediately shot up and took off running. "-I'll be right back!"

"Kyouko? What're you-?" Sayaka asked in utter confusion. She looked in the direction Kyouko had gone, but the redhead had already bolted out of the classroom.

Once Kyouko had raced down the hallway and rounded the corner, she rested her head on the wall, panting heavily. "Damn it..." She muttered in-between gasps. "Seriously, what am I doing? I look like the world's biggest idiot right now. I bet Sayaka's laughing her head off back there-"

"All you have to do is talk to her normally, right?"

"Well yeah, but-" Kyouko started before promptly glancing sideways to notice Mami, arms nonchalantly folded in thought, standing nearby. She jumped - her nerves had already become so weak by this point due to her agitation and whirlwind of emotions. "Hey! Stop randomly appearing like that!"

"I don't see what the problem is then." Mami mused, ignoring Kyouko's surprise.

"It's... complicated..." Kyouko managed, before an indignant thought crossed her mind. "And your 'cake idea' didn't help!"

The first inkling of suspicion and the thought that something had gone awry began when Kyouko noticed that the older girl failed to meet her eyes.

"So you really did it..." Mami muttered, bringing a hand to her mouth as if to hide a smile.

"Of course I did!" Kyouko demanded, her frown deepening in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Awww..." Mami smiled and gently patted Kyouko on the head like one would do to a innocent child. "Would you look at how hard she's trying to talk to Miki-san?"

"Don't screw with me!" Blushing furiously, Kyouko swiped Mami's hand away.

"Now, now," Mami held up her hands to justify herself. "It was because of the cake that you had a reason to return. Now all that's left is to convey your feelings."

"Oh, I see..." Kyouko slowly nodded in agreement as Mami's logic dawned upon her. "But wait, that doesn't tell me anything-" She turned to Mami for an answer, but found the hallway empty once again. "Hey! She's gone!"

Sighing, Kyouko trudged back to the classroom with no other alternative except to face her consequences head-on.

"Welcome back," Sayaka said when Kyouko reentered the room. Her eyes wandered over Kyouko in curiosity, but luckily, she didn't ask what had happened.

"Yeah..." Kyouko slumped down in her chair, feeling immensely tired.

"So," Sayaka started, pointing at the slice of cake. "You didn't answer my question earlier. What was this for?"

"ggh-" Kyouko quickly looked away. _She's not letting me off the hook this time..._

"I thought you were acting weird ever since you returned, but..." Sayaka trailed off in thought. Then, her eyes lit up with understanding. "...Could it be?!"

"W-What?"

Kyouko's fears were confirmed when Sayaka smirked at her with an all-too-knowing expression. "Oh, now I get it! You thought I was acting down, and tried to cheer me up with this."

_Oh god-_

Before Kyouko could speak for herself and provide another alternative, Sayaka cupped her hands around her mouth and proceeded to tease her. "That's what happened, didn't it?"

"That's not-!"

"I didn't know you were this kind of person! You sly girl!"

Kyouko covered her ears with her hands to block out Sayaka's teasing. "Shut up!"

"How adorable!"

"Shut up! I-It's not like that!"

"I know, I know," Sayaka waved it off as her amused smile lingered. "I'm just joking. I'm not naive enough to think that you'd do something like that."

"S-Sayaka...?" Kyouko uncovered her ears and curiously glanced at her companion. Wasn't there something just a bit... off?

"I'm sure you have your reasons. Anyways, thanks for the cake," Sayaka said, getting up to return to her desk. "I should get back to studying."

"Ah... um-" Kyouko brought her hand up, but let it drop back down to her side. "...yeah."

She made no move to leave, hesitating as if she had something meaningful she still wanted to say or do, but didn't know exactly what herself. So instead, Kyouko simply watched as Sayaka stooped over to gather her books and start to walk away. Faint golden cascades of sunlight trickled down her distant back. And even if it was just the other side of the classroom, it felt as though she was going somewhere far away. But for all that was said and done, this wasn't how it should end.

Without thinking, Kyouko reached up and grabbed Sayaka by the sleeve.

"Kyouko?" Sayaka stopped and looked back. "What is it?"

"W-Would you..?" Kyouko started, before finally mustering up enough courage to finish that question. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Where?" Sayaka tilted her head in confusion.

"Mami's inviting everyone to her summer house," Kyouko said as the words began to flow faster and easier. "I know you're busy with summer school and all, but... it's only for a day, and-"

"Sure." Sayaka smiled. "I'd love to."

"R-Really?" Kyouko was more surprised by how quickly Sayaka had accepted than the fact that she had finally asked.

"Of course!" Sayaka nodded and laughed. "The teacher just stopped by to tell me that my make-up tests have been postponed to tomorrow, so I was just thinking that I could use a break anyways." She held out a hand towards the redhead. "Could you take me there, Kyouko?"

Kyouko glanced at the offered gesture, then grinned as her worries melted away. "Sure!" She exclaimed, taking Sayaka's hand in her own...


	2. Chapter 2: Test of Courage

Chapter 2: Test of Courage

_(Collab by Larkabel and Shades 0f Dawn - Team Maple Syrup)_

**A/N: I hope it's not too late, but Merry Christmas everyone~! Hopefully no one got coal in their stockings!**

* * *

Soon enough, the house slipped into view. It was an oak wood cabin - large enough to house at least a dozen people - tucked away in a small clearing beside a meandering dirt road. The air smelled sharply of the pine trees that circled them on all sides. The crunch of tires rolling over rocks as the car pulled up barely interrupted the serene ambiance of the surrounding nature.

It was, Sayaka thought as she stepped out and closed the car door behind her, a typical summer moment. Only the sight of Mami bidding her hired butler goodbye as the limousine retreated back down the road infringed upon her nostalgic memories of camping in the mountains with her family. Stretching her arms over her head to relieve her soreness, Sayaka frowned. She was here because Kyouko had invited her. That in itself was odd. Kyouko had a tendency to distance herself from everyone else, preferring to be left alone. As such, Sayaka's immediate response was veiled with skepticism.

But, with one hand raised to shield her eyes from the glaring sun that filtered through the mint-colored sea of pine trees, Sayaka shrugged it off. Stranger things had happened to her before. And besides, she felt that she owed Kyouko at least this much. It wasn't like she was ungrateful for her company earlier...

"Madokaa!" Sayaka exclaimed when she caught her attention, hugging the blushing girl and ignoring the ice-cold daggers aimed in her direction that once was Homura's watchful gaze. If there was one person who could always cheer her up, it was her longtime friend.

"S-Sayaka-chan..." Madoka bashfully smiled, squirming from the embarrassment of intimacy and struggling to breathe at the same time. But the genuine warmth in her eyes told Sayaka that she enjoyed her presence as well. "I'm glad you could make it."

Sayaka playfully winked, releasing Madoka so she could take in the full view of her summer outfit. A light-blue summer dress donned her friend's slender body, accentuating her childish curves. Satisfied, Sayaka nodded approvingly. "Of course! I wouldn't miss seeing my cute wife Madoka in a swimsuit for anything!"

"_W-Wife_?! _Swimsuit_?!" Homura, still pretending not to be eavesdropping a ways off, doubled over and had to clamp her hands over her mouth to keep from coughing. Or maybe to stem a nosebleed from the fantasies that threatened to ravage her imagination.

Madoka's cheeks reddened from Sayaka's expectations and Homura's outburst. She cringed slightly, squirming uncomfortably under Sayaka's wolfish gaze. The way Madoka shyly covered her chest made Sayaka laugh. It wasn't like she hadn't seen... or _felt_... everything before anyways.

"B-But we're in the mountains, Sayaka-chan. I didn't bring a swimsuit."

Even though Sayaka was only joking, her face still fell. If Mami had the money for a summer house, couldn't she have bought one near the beach?! "Aww, that's too bad. But I guess I'm kinda happy too. At least this way, I'll still be the only one that's ever seen you wear one before." When Madoka wasn't looking, Sayaka shot a exultant glance in Homura's direction, who responded with a envious glare of her own. _Take that, Akemi Homura!_

Of course, she didn't mention that the pre-mentioned swimsuit Madoka wore was the one issued by the school for the pool. Besides, that in itself had its own endearing qualities...

"Shall we go inside and get ready, Madoka?" Homura asked, announcing her presence in her soft, calm voice as she finally approached the two. Slightly miffed, she continued to avoid Sayaka's expectant grin.

"U-Um, okay…" Hesitating, Madoka looked at Sayaka almost sorrowfully, which the latter regarded with an air of confusion.

"Uh, what's what with that look?" Sayaka asked, grinning lopsidedly. "You look like your pet fish died or something."

"N-Nothing!" Madoka managed, excusing herself politely as she turned to go with Homura. In a matter of seconds, they had already vacated the scene.

_What's with her?_ Sayaka wondered with a touch of concern. _I'll bet it's that transfer student again. She's always up to no good, taking advantage of Madoka's innocence and leading her around everywhere she wants. I'll make her pay if she harms Madoka!_

Returning to her sense, from the corner of her eyes, Sayaka noticed Mami and Kyouko talking as they approached the cabin. Every now and then, Mami would say something with an ill-concealed smile, and Kyouko would grin and burst into laughter as if they were old friends. Sayaka knew they had once known each other in the past, but the sight of them getting along so well still struck her as unusual. The incoherent echoes of their conversation drifted towards Sayaka's ears, and, with a small pang of jealousy, she strained to listen.

It wasn't because of their friendliness that she was jealous, Sayaka told herself with conviction. No, it was because Kyouko had invited her and then selfishly gone off on her own to whatever she wanted. Of course, not that she really cared what Kyouko did, but anyone would have felt a bit slighted in her situation. Sayaka closed her eyes and nodded. Yes, that was it.

Putting the last of her unease to rest, Sayaka inhaled as a crisp breeze filled her lungs. She involuntarily shivered, feeling a cold, dark shade of loneliness descend upon the clearing as the clouds above drifted to veil the sun. For a moment, she felt a strange sense of detachment flood through her body. The unfamiliar landscape, the faraway chatter of conversations, the gentle swaying of grass brushing her ankles... Sayaka suddenly felt as though she didn't belong here. Everyone else was carefree and happy, but even if she tried to smile along, there was still an unexplainable cold weight weighing down her spirits. What was making her feel so... lonely?

"Miki-san?"

Sayaka's eyes fluttered open - she didn't know how long she had been standing there with her eyes closed - as Mami's face eclipsed her view.

Mami's golden bangs parted to reveal warmly concerned eyes and a motherly expression. "Are you alright?"

Taken slightly by surprise, Sayaka silently nodded. She looked around, noticing that everyone else had already taken refuge inside the cabin. Mami had probably come back for her after noticing her absence, Sayaka thought with a touch of guilt as she shivered again. Mami noticed this, and her frown deepened slightly.

"Even though it's summer, it's still rather chilly in the mountains. You should come inside before you catch a cold."

"Yeah, thanks." Sayaka acknowledged Mami's concern with a brief smile, which worked well enough to reassure the older girl.

"Would you..." Mami started, glancing around as if she had just noticed the beautiful scenery surrounding them for the first time today. "...like to stay here a little longer?"

"Nah," Sayaka shook her head, brushing aside all feelings of nostalgia and attachment. "Let's just go."

The cabin was even more impressive on the inside. The layout was relatively simple, but the content still shone with luxury. Polished hardwood floors underlay neatly organized rooms. Chandeliers hung suspended over fancy tables lined with cushioned chairs. Oaken stairs spiraled up to a second floor. Even the sofas looked expensive, lined with red velvet and dark leather.

"Damn bourgeois..." Kyouko muttered to herself, shaking her head after she had surveyed the interior. The conflicting expression on her face made it seem like she wanted to touch everything with a childish curiosity to see if they were truly real, but couldn't bring herself to out of disgust for the complete show of extravagance. "How much did all of this cost?"

"Don't worry about the money," Mami replied with a generous smile. "Make yourselves at home."

But Kyouko, having had her attention diverted by the welcoming sight and aromatic smell of the kitchen, had already slipped away. A few seconds later, the sound of the fridge and various pantries opening signaled that she had found her prey.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Madoka exclaimed, her eyes full of wonder and awe as she glanced around the cabin. "How did you get the money for all of this?"

"Modelling, mostly." Mami answered offhandedly, though the proud and satisfied smile she wore was ill-concealed. "Which reminds me, you should become a model too, Kaname-san."

"Me, a model?" Madoka's eyes widened in surprise. "But I could never do something as amazing like that."

"Sure you could!" Sayaka exclaimed, hugging Madoka from behind which elicited another squeal of surprised embarrassment. "You're so adorably cute! I'm sure everyone would love you!"

Another loud thud echoed from the kitchen, and with a concerned, exasperated sigh, Sayaka left to investigate.

Mami gave Madoka a studying look. "Miki-san is right. Although you may be too humble to admit it, you have a lot of feminine appeal."

Wide-eyed, Madoka looked hesitant. "I-"

"That won't be necessary," Homura flatly intervened, clearing her throat. "Madoka has enough to worry about from school without including the responsibilities and all of the inconveniences that modeling would entail-"

Innocent, pink eyes gazed at Homura. "I can't be a model..?"

Homura wilted under the innocent stare. "W-Well, I mean, I am not saying that you _can't_ become one. Or to put it more clearly, it's not that you _don't_ have the ability to become a model. Because I believe that you would be a great idol - no, a _fantastic_ one! I have always thought that your innocently honest feminine appeal was much higher than any of those pretentious celebrities, not to mention the astounding potential you possess with the right production, agency, and manager. Of course, it goes without saying that I would gladly be your manager if you should so choose to become an idol, Madoka. Together, we can reach for the-"

"Then again," Mami was already leading Madoka into the living room, anxious to leave Homura to fantasize by herself. "Perhaps that idea can wait."

* * *

After having been rudely kicked out of the kitchen by a disapproving Sayaka, Kyouko found herself wandering around the halls of the mansion-like cabin. She kicked the carpet in irritation, scowling. It wasn't like she _wanted _to argue with Sayaka, after all - especially when they were on decent terms with each other. It always started with something silly. In the end, Kyouko knew she was just being selfish. But she refused to back down, especially when she _knew _she was right.

There was _so _much food in the kitchen. The plates of cupcakes, and quaint arrangement of cookies, and bowls filled with chips and tubs of ice-cream... Most of it would've gone to waste anyways. Wouldn't it be better to eat everything before it all expired? At least, that was the calm, level-headed explanation she had presented to Sayaka. But the latter would have none of her desperate pleas.

Then, as if _denying_ her unquestionable right to take inventory of the kitchen wasn't enough, even though Kyouko _knew _from experience that Mami could honestly care less, Sayaka's scolding and comparisons would consequently follow. Kyouko should know better as a guest. (_Mami's stuff is basically my stuff!_) She should start acting her age. (_Give me a break!_) It wasn't polite to start rummaging through the pantries. (_I wasn't rummaging, I was just looking!_) What was everyone else going to do when there was no food left? (_It's not like we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse!_) What was she planning on doing anyways? (_What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?!_) Why was she such a freeloader? (_Oh, now we're getting personal!_) Why couldn't she be more responsible and reliable like Mami?

By that point, Kyouko had stormed out, particularly irked by the last statement. She didn't dislike Mami - in fact, she was grateful to the older girl. More often than not, they were on friendly terms. But Sayaka had no right to criticize her personality. And the way Sayaka's eyes were always filled with admiration whenever Mami's name was mentioned especially bothered her, even though she didn't really know why. Glancing around, Kyouko constantly found herself surrounded in the splendor of her affluent senpai. Even the bizzare paintings that lined the walls, each one encased in a golden frame, was more wealth than she had ever seen in her life. Probably enough to buy a whole chain of convenience stores, at the very least. For an instant, Kyouko tried to imagine what it would be like to be surrounded by all that food... Heaven, for sure.

"I know how great Mami is. I _live _with her, for crying out loud." Kyouko muttered under her breath. "You don't always have to remind me, moron..."

Her stomach still growling, Kyouko satiated her appetite by munching on a bag of chips she had managed to sneak past, taking slight pride and satisfaction in that fact. In the end, she _always _made sure she had the last laugh. And besides, there was no way in _hell _that she was going to go hungry until dinnertime.

It was then that Kyouko remembered she had a certain business to take care of. Surprisingly enough, it didn't take long for her to find the normally elusive Homura. The latter was calmly sitting and reading in one of the velvet sofas in the library, as if expectantly waiting for Kyouko's arrival.

Kyouko barged into the room and determinedly strode over to Homura. She stopped in front, folded her arms, and frowned crossly. Only the ticking from the antique grandfather clock interrupted the uncomfortable silence for the next several seconds, prolonged by the duo's increasingly mutual unfriendliness.

Homura made no effort to escape from the situation. Instead, she briefly rolled her eyes as if to say, '_How troublesome', _like she always made a habit of muttering whenever she was talking to someone without Madoka's presence. Like that girl was the only thing that mattered to her.

"I'm sure you are well aware that we're not the best of friends. But I suppose I should ask, just to entertain you," Homura said matter-of-factly, snapping the book closed and sharply glancing up. "What is it, Sakura-san?"

Kyouko glared back, irked by Homura's feigned ignorance. She looked into the dark, cold eyes in the indifferent expression and wondered what charming qualities the sweet, amiable Madoka could possibly see in this emotionless girl. "You... You were supposed to stop Mami, weren't you?"

"Ah, that." Homura sighed, rolled her eyes again, and disapprovingly glanced at the crumbs that had scattered onto the floor from Kyouko's hands. "I suppose I was."

"'_I suppose I was...', _is not gonna cut it!" Kyouko snapped impatiently, quickly growing more and more annoyed. "I thought we had a deal!"

By now, Homura's transient attention had already returned to the book in her hands, though more from disinterest in the conversation than the captivating contents of the novel itself. "Regardless of my actions, I doubt I would have been able to stop Tomoe-san."

Kyouko opened her mouth to protest, but was halted by Homura's follow-up inquiry. "Why are you so insistent on keeping her out of your business anyways?" Homura turned to check Kyouko's reaction, her suspicion rising. Of course, the latter was fidgeting uncomfortably which did little to alleviate the tension. "Unless you were planning to break the law, I doubt she would have stopped you from following your usual routine."

"I-... well, yeah," Kyouko mumbled, self-consciously aware that Homura was keying on her every word. A blush threatened to rise to her cheeks when she thought about Sayaka, and she mentally cursed her weakness. Where had her self-control gone?

Homura raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing in thought as she tried to dissect and analyze Kyouko's words, actions, and emotions. "Was there something special about today? Wait, hold on. Today marked the beginning of Miki-san's summer classes, didn't it? Ah, now I understand."

"W-What?" Came the stuttering response.

"Oh, nothing-" A mirthful look took control of Homura's features as she tried her best to stifle a snicker, which Kyouko noticed much to her indignation. "-It's really nothing."

"Whaddya want?" Kyouko finally found her voice to demand, scowling. But by this time, Homura was full-out _smiling_; terribly amused by the whole notion. Her eyes lit up in childish glee.

"You," Homura said as she delightfully started to piece together Kyouko's motive. "You wanted to spend time with Miki-san, didn't you? Is that why you asked for my help to get Tomoe-san off of your case?"

Feeling tremendously uncomfortable, Kyouko tried to snap back to hide her embarrassment. "S-So what if it is?! You're not much different! I bet you deflected Mami onto me because you were worried about her messing up your silly plans with Madoka!"

As if a dark veil had been thrown over her head, Homura's face instantly sobered - her smile wiped in favor of a solemn frown. "What right do you think you have to call our relationship _'silly'?" _She demanded, purposefully spacing out each word to add dramatic effect.

"Because you put on this stupid facade whenever you're around her! You make her think that you're such a good girl when you're complete trash!"

Homura narrowed her eyes, glaring murderously as if to warn Kyouko what would happen if she told Madoka any of what she had just said. "And you don't do the same?"

Stunned, Kyouko stopped, frowning. "No, of course I don't. B-Besides, it's not I really feel that way about Sayaka anyways..."

Silence pervaded for a few seconds. Then, when Homura started to titter, that was the final straw.

"You wanna go, Homura?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Kyouko."

...

* * *

When Mami opened the door to the library several minutes later and glanced at the two, breathless, entangled girls lying on the floor, noting their sweaty bodies and flushed cheeks, she put a hand over her mouth as if to hide a knowing smile.

"All this time, was I... mistaken?"

"_Hell_ no!" Both Homura and Kyouko shouted, temporarily forgetting about pummeling each other in lieu of dispelling this misunderstanding.

"I see," Mami frowned grimly when she considered the lamentable consequences of this forbidden relationship. She realized that sometimes, love could be cruel. There were times when it was clearly not going to work out - a lost cause. But wasn't it all the more romantic when the two lovers kept fighting, struggling through difficult trials and cruel fate, just to be happy with each other?! _Wasn't that what it meant to live life to its fullest?!_ "A new, unexpected development has arisen." Mami's soft voice was layered with regret, her eyes filled with sorrow. "My heart breaks when I think about how Kaname-san and Miki-san will take the news."

She turned to leave, but in two quick strides Homura reached the door first, slamming it shut to prevent the older girl's departure. Positioning herself between Mami's only route of escape, Homura, still breathless from her skirmish with Kyouko, rested her hands on her knees and relaxed, but only slightly. Homura still kept a wary eye trained on Mami, wound up like a spring in anticipation for her next move.

"Don't expect me to readily let you leave after what you've just witnessed, Tomoe-san," Homura said coldly, building her confidence with each word.

"Don't make it sound like we were doing something perverted!" Kyouko indignantly retorted, picking herself up from the hardwood floor. She circled around behind Mami until the older girl was caught directly in-between her and Homura.

A sly smile, lined with acerbity, rose to Mami's lips as she became aware of her situation. Estimating the distance between her and Kyouko, Mami stiffened her shoulders and balanced her stance, looking like a battle-hardened veteran preparing for a fight. "I had hoped it wouldn't have to turn out this way, Akemi-san."

Homura ran her fingers through her hair like a pre-battle ritual. "Your actions leave me with no choice."

_Knock. Knock. _The presence of someone beyond the door interrupted the exchange. The room went dead silent, and atmosphere grew even more tense.

"Are you going to open it, Akemi-san?" Mami softly asked.

Homura silently nodded, her gaze never leaving Mami as she slowly stepped backwards to reach the door handle. Her slow, careful footsteps echoed in the silent room. _One. Two. Three-_

"Kyouko, now!" Homura shouted when Mami's attention flickered to the door handle for the briefest of a second. Mami, realizing her mistake with dread, tensed and spun around, only to meet Kyouko dashing into her at full speed...

"Maammii!" Kyouko buried herself in the folds of the older girl's dress, sobbing.

Homura blinked, stunned._ ...What?_

"What is it, Kyouko?" Mami kneeled, trying to comfort the distressed girl. "Was Akemi-san being mean to you?"

Kyouko nodded in-between obviously faked sniffles, with prompted Homura to narrow her eyes in fury. _Oh, you traitor..!_

Mami turned on Homura threateningly with all the maternalism of a caring mother. "Akemi-san, apologize!"

Homura was at a loss. Utterly confused. Bewildered. "Apologize? But, I didn't... What did I do-?"

"Akemi-san!"

Homura's protests were met with an ironclad glare. Mami's authoritative tone left no room for objections. Defeated, Homura let her eyes wander over Kyouko's kneeling figure. _If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?_

And for a brief second, she thought she saw a triumphant smirk form on Kyouko's lips, as if the latter was reading her thoughts. _Exactly._

It took all of Homura's willpower to keep herself from strangling Kyouko._ You little-!_

"Now," Mami said as she quickly moved away, leaving Homura and Kyouko to face each other. "Embrace!"

Stunned, Homura and Kyouko both gaped at each other, then at an expectantly waiting Mami. "_What?_" They asked in unison.

"Now that your lover's quarrel is in the past, let bygones be bygones! Relish the skinship of one another! I'll support you two by doing everything I can!" By this point, Mami was completely lost in her delusions.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kyouko started to slowly back away, more so when she realized Homura was quickly advancing towards her. Without the protection of Mami, she felt very vulnerable, and Homura was intent on taking advantage of that fact. "There's clearly a misunderstanding here! And me? Hug? Her? But-"

"Oh, actually I think it's a fantastic idea, Kyouko," Homura said, chuckling darkly and quickly closing the gap between herself and her target like a heat-seeking torpedo. "Why don't we let bygones be bygones and hug it out?"

"T-That's all noble of you to say and all, but the _way_ you're saying it kinda freaks me out!"

Kyouko desperately tried to leap away, but was caught by a determined Homura and engulfed in her embrace. She immediately found herself enveloped in Homura's warmth, her nose tickled by the aromatic scent her perfume, the pleasing, natural smell of her hair, her own body pressing against the softness and curves of Homura's slender body, the comforting feeling of her hands tenderly wrapped around her back, the incredible softness of Homura's cheek gently brushing against her own...

Kyouko relaxed into Homura, giving in after a few seconds. "H-Hey... this is actually kind of nice. You're actually pretty warm despite how you look, Homura."

Homura expression was uncharacteristically tender and caring, which Kyouko found rather pleasant. "See, this isn't so bad, now is it?"

Kyouko nodded, closed her eyes, and smiled. The comforting warmth and softness was starting to make her mind drift. She could lose herself in this moment forever. "Ahhhh...aaahhHHHH?!"

Homura's hug immediately became stiffer, more threatening, as if sensing that Kyouko was enjoying herself too much. "What is it, Kyouko?" Homura calmly asked, as if unaware that she was slowly constricting Kyouko's air circulation.

Kyouko managed a weak, nervous smile as the realization of Homura's motive dawned upon her. "H-Homura-chan... Y-You're choking me... M-My ribs... M-My heart..."

Homura warmly smiled back, though her eyes didn't share the same sentiment. It was as if she had expected Kyouko's initial reaction all along, and was now dishing out the consequent punishment. "Hmm? What is it, Kyouko-chan? Do you want to get closer? How daring of you!"

"G-Give me a break!"

Shifting her weight, Homura used her free hand to pull away a few strands from Kyouko's face and admired her face. She leaned closer, their faces and lips only a few inches away, which prompted Kyouko to blush furiously. "You've been a very bad girl lately, _haven't you_?"

"H-Have I?" Kyouko unexpectedly squeaked and closed her eyes, afraid of what would happen next. She could feel Homura's warm breath on her lips and neck, engulfing her with sensuality. _Oh god, she's so close! So close! So close! TOO CLOSE!_

"I believe you should apologize." Homura softly whispered in Kyouko's ear, each word sending a tingling chill down the latter's back as she failed to stifle a moan.

"F-Forgive me, Homura-sama."

When Homura finally released Kyouko, the latter crumpled to the floor, wheezing. "T-That's one _hell _of a death grip you've got there, H-Homura-chan..." Kyouko croaked. Eyes watering, and feeling vulnerable, embarrassed, and exploited all at the same time, she looked towards her reliable senpai and reached towards Mami with an outstretched hand. "M-Maaamiiii..! Homura was being mean to me again..!"

It was at that moment that Madoka decided to walk in. "Um, what's going on here?" She asked, hesitating at the door's threshold as if debating whether her presence was bothering or interrupting anyone.

"M-Madoka?! W-What are you doing here?!" Homura stuttered, taken off guard by her sudden presence. All traces of her previous demeanor had completely vanished, as if she herself was now embarrassed at her unusual display of intimacy with Kyouko.

"I was wondering where everyone went," Madoka explained, looking around the library wide-eyed and noticing Kyouko sprawled across the floor with a hint of bewilderment. "But what's everyone doing in here? Where have you been, Homura-chan?"

"She was... busy," Mami answered on Homura's behalf when the latter failed to come up with a comprehensible reason. She looked at Madoka with a sad smile, who obviously didn't know what Mami's look of disappointment and pity was all about, but played along anyways.

"Oh, I see." Madoka turned back to Homura with a look of sympathy and understanding. "I guess even you have your own problems too. I hope everything works out for you."

Kyouko's snort of laughter was audible in the silence that followed, as was her indignant cry when Homura sharply elbowed her.

"I-It's not quite like that, Madoka." Homura began, trying to find the right words to put her at ease.

"Homura's just been having trouble suppressing her inner desires."

"I don't mean to worry you, but there are some things you would be better off not knowing."

"Because Homura's very confused with her feelings right now, and needs some time alone." Kyouko was keen on interrupting, winking slyly at a confused Madoka.

Homura stared at Kyouko incredulously, numb with disbelief. "Can you believe this girl, Tomoe-san? One minute she's sniveling on the ground and the next, she's perfectly fine. What're you, Cristiano Ronaldo?" With a disgusted sigh, Homura turned and promptly strode away, closely followed by a worried Madoka.

"So..." Mami turned to Kyouko, smiling broadly. The way she looked so obviously happy made Kyouko feel that _she _should be elated as well. Which, of course, she wasn't. "Aren't you glad that you made up with Akemi-san? And that you hugged?"

"The hell I am! It really _hurt_!" Kyouko retorted, gingerly feeling her ribs to make sure they weren't broken. Luckily, they weren't. Fortunately Homura wasn't known for her physical strength.

Mami would have none of Kyouko's protests, winking playfully. "But I think that the two of you get along better than either of you might think. And I'm sure you made some people happy."

"...What?"

"And you're still blushing rather furiously, Kyouko."

"Oh, _shut up_."

* * *

Once everyone had finally reconvened in the living room, Mami started to explain the day's itinerary. There was a trail that started at the back of the cabin and snaked all the way up towards the top of the mountain. A picturesque view of the city skyline and a private bathhouse awaited near the summit, and along the way was the annual midsummer festival, which had its customary food and game stands. Of course, with no other reason to object, everyone else nodded their consent. Homura and Madoka left with Mami to make preparations while Sayaka had volunteered to prepare the food. Soon enough, Sayaka found herself in the kitchen and alone to her thoughts, her argument with Kyouko still fresh on her mind.

Sayaka knew she was probably in the wrong. It wasn't her business what Kyouko was up to. But recently, more and more, she would find herself always worrying about that carefree girl. She was always thinking about her. Whenever they parted, she'd immediately long to see her again. And ever since Kyouko had invited her here, Sayaka had started to feel strangely uncomfortable around her.

It was definitely annoying. And troublesome. And mind-blowingly irritating. But what most annoyed Sayaka was how easily annoyed she was. And over someone like Kyouko, no less.

_"Calm down..." _Sayaka thought to herself, closing her eyes and forcibly suppressing her nervousness. "_It's just Kyouko. We've known each other for some time now. Everything should be normal. There's no need to feel uncomfortable. There's nothing to-"_

"Whatcha doin'?" A familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"Woah!" Sayaka jumped and almost dropped the knife she was holding as it precariously teetered along the tips of her fingers. She turned to see Kyouko's curious face, and her cheeks reddened from the unexpected intimacy. "Don't scare me like that!" Sayaka scolded, frowning to hide her embarrassment. But when she had gotten over her initial surprise, she noticed that Kyouko was slightly breathless as if the latter had just ran a mile. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, um, yeah," Kyouko muttered, though she was unable to give direct eye contact, much to Sayaka's worry. She looked... flustered? Was there something on her mind?

"Really? You look like you just experienced something traumatic."

"Never mind that," Kyouko quickly said, eager to change the topic. Her eyes were pleading, as if unsure what to say next. "But anyways, I... uh, I just wanted to... say something to you. It's kind of important, and I think you need to hear it."

"Huh? W-What?" This time, it was Sayaka's turn to feel uncomfortable as she fidgeted with her hands, her eyes moving between Kyouko and the hardwood floor as she tried to find the words. "W-Wait, Kyouko, this is kind of sudden-"

"I'm sorry."

Sayaka blinked, wrinkling her nose in puzzlement. Her expectations were doused as she tried to comprehend what Kyouko was talking about. "...Huh? For what?"

Kyouko, unaware of Sayaka's confusion, continued talking. The way she mumbled and looked like a grumpy child made Sayaka struggle to suppress the amused smile tugging at her lips. "Well y'know, for earlier. I _still _don't think that I was doing anything wrong, of course. But I guess I shouldn't have shouted at you. So yeah, there you go."

"Oh," Sayaka laughed, feeling strangely relieved at the misunderstanding. "I'm not mad about that, Kyouko. In fact, I'm the one that should apologize. I guess I went a bit too overboard there."

Kyouko's eyes lit up in obvious, ill-concealed relief, and she grinned wolfishly. "So we're good, right?"

Her companion's excitement contagious, Sayaka laughed. "Sure, Kyouko. We're good. So, how about you let me finish what I'm doing here and-"

"So what're you doing anyways? Lemme see..." Ignoring Sayaka's pleas, Kyouko scanned the contents of the table until her eyes alighted upon something of interest. "Food?"

"Woah, wait! This is for everyone's lunch-!" Sayaka started to say, attempting to cover the table.

"Lemme try!" Kyouko swiped one of the sandwiches and downed it in one gulp.

"Hey!" Sayaka tried to intervene, but the sandwich had already met its final destination.

"Wow, this is seriously good!" Kyouko said in-between bites as she flashed Sayaka an approving thumbs-up. Her cheeks were now smeared with bread crumbs and mayonnaise. "I didn't know you could cook this well!"

"That doesn't make me that happy, coming from you. You'll eat almost anything anyways..." Sayaka bashfully muttered, though she guiltily felt a warm sense of satisfaction spread through her body. "But if you want, then maybe I'll make you something next time-"

She turned, only to find that Kyouko was too busy wolfing down the rest of the sandwiches to pay attention to her. "Hey, stop that already! Weren't you supposed to be sorry?"

"Sorry!" Kyouko managed with a full mouth, though her expression was hardly apologetic. She laughed, dancing out of reach much to the chagrin of Sayaka. Acting quickly and using her battle-honed reflexes, Kyouko managed to elude Sayaka's grasp and slip away from the kitchen.

"You're gonna get fat, y'know!" Sayaka didactically scolded in the direction of the open door.

"Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that!" Kyouko's sarcastic response, layered with a triumphant satisfaction, echoed from down the corridor.

"Jeez..." Sayaka frowned to herself, vexed by Kyouko's actions. To think that Kyouko had _just _been apologizing about eating food on a whim! She couldn't believe that girl sometimes... Assessing the damage, Sayaka estimated that it would take another ten minutes to replace all the sandwiches that had fallen prey to Kyouko's insatiable appetite.

_"Kyouko..." _A pained smile tugged at the edges of Sayaka's lips. Her eyes flashed and narrowed threateningly. _"Just you wait. I'll get my revenge soon enough!"_

* * *

The amber sun was already hanging low in the late-afternoon sky when the five of them gathered near the base of the mountain trail. Having eaten lunch, they started to head up the rocky path when Mami suddenly had an idea, sharing it with her reluctant companions with obvious enthusiasm.

"A test of courage?" Kyouko recited, pondering the unusual idea with skepticism. "You make it sound like walking at night is scary."

"Come on, Kyouko," Sayaka piped up, grinning smugly and poking an obviously shivering Madoka. "Some of us aren't as fearlessly heroic, as you can see."

"S-Sayaka..!" Madoka whispered uncomfortably. "Stop it!"

"There's a shrine near the top of the mountain," Mami explained in an attempt to convince everyone else. "If you can retrieve one of the charms from there, you pass. It'll make great memories, don't you think?"

"The top of the mountain..?" Homura repeated, gazing up into the dark depths of the forest. She shone her flashlight in an attempt to illuminate the path, but quickly realized it was futile. "I doubt this is a good idea."

Madoka cuddled closer to Homura, eyes wide with fright. "Y-Yeah, I'm scared..."

Homura flashed Mami a knowing look and a thumbs-up. "Actually, this is an excellent idea."

Madoka looked unsure, turning to her companion with a look of dread and shivering with fear. "I-It's kind of scary, Homura-chan..."

Homura smiled in an effort to look reassuring. "Don't worry, I'll protect you Madoka." With one hand already occupied with the flashlight, Homura tried to flip her hair and grab Madoka's hand at the same time, realized she couldn't have both, and ended up doing neither. So instead, she turned to Mami. "If anything goes wrong, just call me."

Mami smiled and nodded. "Of course, Akemi-san... So, what was your phone num-?"

But Homura and Madoka had already left.

Kyouko watched the odd pair disappear, shooting a furtive glance into the darkness. If anything, she was more terrified of the raven-haired girl than any wild animals or the silent, suffocating curtain of night. Who knew what she might try to pull? "Will they really be alright..?" She wondered, turning to Sayaka who had just returned with a backpack. "Well, at least _we're _not scared or anythi-"

"Haha, of c-course not!" Sayaka's face was as pale as the moon overhead. "I w-wouldn't get scared over something as s-silly like this-!"

"...So, what happened to your fearless heroism?"

"A-Ah, well, you see-" Sayaka fiddled with her hair nervously and bashfully looked away. "I'm not good with things I can't see. L-Like ghosts... and ghosts... and also ghosts..."

Sayaka was afraid of ghosts? _Seriously?_ The thought was enough to make Kyouko laugh. This "Test of Courage" suddenly became just a bit more interesting. Suddenly impatient to get going, Kyouko hid her anticipation behind a sigh. "Yeah. I think I get the idea."

Sayaka looked up at Kyouko with pleading eyes. "S-So, um... I'll be in your care..."

The overwhelmingly innocent expression on her face made Kyouko's heart skip a few beats as the latter averted her gaze, blushing furiously. "S-Sure, I guess... Just stay close and don't get lost."

Sayaka reached out and shyly grabbed the sleeve of Kyouko's jacket as they, too, ventured into the dark forest. An awkward silence came over the two for the next few minutes as neither of them knew what to say to the other. The only sound that broke the eerie silence was their footsteps softly treading on the forest ground and the sharp crack of the occasional twig breaking underfoot. Suddenly, Sayaka stopped.

"U-Um, Kyouko..?"

"What?" Kyouko was reluctant to break stride.

Sayaka's voice was soft, innocently pleading, and came from somewhere closer to Kyouko than she had expected. "L-Let me hold your hand." She mumbled, her voice trailing off as if instantly regretting the embarrassing request.

Kyouko felt herself blushing uncontrollably again. Luckily, Sayaka wouldn't be able to see it. "W-What?! What are you saying?!"

"D-Don't get the wrong idea!" Sayaka was quick to explain. In the darkness, her body moved closer to Kyouko's. "I-I just... I'll hold your hand so you won't be scared!"

"...But I'm not scared." Was Kyouko's blunt reply.

"Oh, don't be like that. C'mon, here." Sayaka said as Kyouko felt her soft hand quickly and gently grab her own, as if the former was longing for that comforting feeling of holding hands. Kyouko sighed, and let it slide. _Just this time, alright?_

A few minutes later, and Sayaka had to stop again. "Look..." Sayaka breathed, pointing into the darkness.

Kyouko followed her gaze with the flashlight, illuminating the face of the mountain to reveal a gaping cave. _Bingo_. "Alright, let's-"

"Wait, I have something for a situation like this." Sayaka quickly interrupted, as if she had been waiting in anticipation all along. She unslung her backpack, reached into it, and pulled out a silver cylindrical object.

Kyouko was unimpressed. "Why do you have a bat?"

"Oh, this?" Sayaka laughed nervously as she gave the sports-equipment-turned-weapon a few test swings. "I just thought it'd be safer to carry around."

"Yeah, yeah, that's all fine and dandy," Kyouko said, slowly backing away from Sayaka. It only took a few swings for her to tell just how inexperienced Sayaka was with that instrument, and her instincts screamed at her to escape as quickly as possible before physical pain ensued. "But do you have to swing that thing behind me?"

"Well, you're the one with the flashlight!"

"So?"

"S-So?" Sayaka mimicked. "I-Is that all you have to say?"

"Thats what _I _want to say!"

When Sayaka didn't respond, Kyouko sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. Whatever. Suit yourself." Holding the flashlight in front of her, Kyouko confidently strolled into the darkness of the cavern. A ways back, Sayaka was peeking out from behind a tree.

"A-Are you seriously going in?" Sayaka hesitantly asked.

"Yeah. Why not?" Kyouko's voice echoed from inside the cave. "I wanna at least check this place out. Maybe it leads to a shortcut to the top of this mountain."

"Don't decide these things on your own..." Sayaka mumbled, reluctantly following suit with baseball bat gripped tightly in her hands.

Kyouko glanced back, a smirk tugging at her lips. Sayaka's hesitation only confirmed her suspicions. "Don't tell me you're scared of the dark-"

"I'm not scared!" Sayaka retaliated, closing her eyes and swinging her baseball bat wildly as if to fend off imaginary monsters. But when she opened her eyes, only darkness met her gaze. Kyouko, and the light from her flashlight, had suddenly vanished. "Kyou...ko...?" Sayaka hesitantly called out.

Silence.

Sayaka forced a nervous chuckle. Growing nervous, she fidgeted and glanced around. "H-Hey, come on now..."

"BOO!"

"Eep!" Sayaka yelped and closed her eyes, flinching. But when she tentatively opened them, she realized that the offender was none other than Kyouko, who was using the flashlight to light up her face in an eerie manner.

Kyouko, on her part, was wearing a smug grin. She shot a teasing smirk in Sayaka's direction that was instantly shot down with a bitter frown. "I thought you weren't scared?"

"I-I'm _not _scared!" Sayaka exclaimed in a futile attempt to regain her compromised dignity. "I was just... startled! Anyone would have been in that situation!"

"Yeah, yeah, _sure _you were," Kyouko waved off Sayaka's claims with an all-too-knowing attitude that made the latter pout in frustration. But as she continued to laugh in satisfaction, Sayaka realized something awry.

"H-Hey, um, Kyouko," Sayaka started.

Kyouko stopped chuckling long enough to recognize her companion's distress. "What?"

Sayaka tentatively lifted her hand to point. "T-There's something behind you..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kyouko was oblivious to the apparent look of fear on Sayaka's face. She laughed again. "Oh, I get it. This is your revenge, isn't it? You're trying to scare me, aren't you? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but something silly like that won't work on me."

"N-No, there's actually something behind you..."

"Yeah, yeah," Kyouko tried to laugh it off again, but the look of genuine fear on Sayaka's face was beginning to affect her, making her grow nervous herself. "You're trying to make me turn around, even though there's nothing. Think you're clever, don'tcha?"

"K-Kyouko..."

"Ah, damn, fine!" Kyouko finally gave into the pressure. "What is it?!" And as she swiveled to look, she was immediately attacked by a dark, monstrous creature. It let out a chilling shriek as it began to beat Kyouko with giant wings and slash at her with razor-sharp claws. Kyouko desperately waved at her face to ward off the attacks, but could do nothing to stave off the predator.

"AHHHH!" Eyes closed, Sayaka immediately rushed forward and began to swing wildly with her bat. Left, right, up, down, she didn't know which direction she was counterattacking, fueled by pure adrenaline. After several seconds, but what seemed like an eternity, Sayaka eventually tired out from her tirade. She opened her eyes, and noticed Kyouko stumbling around nearby, a faint trickle of blood running down her slightly bruised head. Sayaka hopped over to her in concern.

"I-I saved you, Kyouko!" The pleasantly surprised satisfaction hidden behind Sayaka's expression of concern was obvious.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Suddenly, Kyouko was in Sayaka's face, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders as she narrowed her eyes in frustration.

"B-But... I saved you from the monster..."

"Huh? Monster?" Kyouko pointed towards the mouth of the cave where the winged creature was making its escape. "That was a bat!"

"B-But... it made you bleed..."

"No. That was _you_."

"Anyways, I saved you!" Sayaka exclaimed, refusing to doubt herself.

Kyouko clenched her teeth and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, thanks Miss Fearless Hero." She put a hand to her wound and frowned. "How 'bout we stop this cave thing?"

"Y-Yeah. I agree."

* * *

Soon afterwards, Kyouko and Sayaka eventually reached the site of the shrine. Maybe it was the old, eerie design of the temple or the foreboding feeling that grew stronger with the approaching night, but whatever it was made the two of them reluctant to approach the scene. So instead, they peered through the bushes. The altar stood above the cobblestone ground behind a religious arch. A stack of papers rested on top - the charms. Behind the altar, the temple and its massive closed doors seemed to ominously guard the grounds.

Sayaka pointed, her hand trembling with anxiety. "S-So, that's it, right?"

Kyouko nodded.

"All we have to do is get one of those papers, right?"

Kyouko nodded again.

Sayaka nervously glanced at her companion. "A-And you're saying that I have to do it?"

Kyouko nodded for the third time.

"Why me?!"

"I'm religious," Kyouko answered almost haughtily, folding her arms. "I'm not supposed to go near temples."

Sayaka frowned. "Why does that sound like a convenient excuse to me? Besides, isn't it a sin to throw someone else under the bus?"

"Isn't it a sin to not obey your elders?"

"Aren't you more athletic?"

"Aren't you better at recklessly charging at things?"

"Weren't you the one that wasn't scared to begin with?"

Kyouko slumped down behind the bushes, her face slightly paled as she clutched her stomach. "Well yeah, but when you say that now, I'm getting a bit of stage fright..."

"Please, Kyouko," Sayaka pleaded, gently grabbing Kyouko's sleeve as her lower lip trembled. "I... I'm scared..."

It was difficult for Kyouko to tear her eyes away from Sayaka's overwhelmingly innocent, childish expression. She spent several seconds in silence, debating against her better judgement. Then, she sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh, fine. I'll do it. That's all I have to do, right?!" Gritting her teeth, Kyouko held her breath and began to creep out of the bushes towards the altar.

_Careful... Careful... _Kyouko silently tread across the open, deserted courtyard. The dim lights from the overhanging lanterns dangling from the arch cast an eerie glow on the surroundings. The silence from the surrounding darkness made her spine tingle. When she made it to the altar, she quickly grabbed one of the papers. "Got it!" She whispered, turning to head back when she realized that the bushes where Sayaka was hiding was empty.

"S-Sayaka?" Kyouko hesitantly called out, remaining rooted in place as she scanned the immediate vicinity. Nothing. The temple grounds was completely deserted, with no trace that anyone had interrupted the scene for a long time. Then suddenly, Kyouko felt a soft hand grab her shoulders. She froze, her heart pounding. Slowly turning around, she saw...

"BOO!" A flash of light exploded in Kyouko's face as she reeled backwards.

"Holy sh-!" Kyouko flinched, losing her footing as she tripped and unceremoniously fell backwards on her rear. She brought her fists up, readying to parry a blow or physically retaliate. When her vision had focused however, she recognized that her assailant was none other than a smugly grinning Sayaka.

"So, I thought you weren't scared?" Sayaka asked in amusement, dangling the offending flashlight in one hand.

"I-" Kyouko growled in frustration. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she attempted to make sense of the situation. "You... I... What...?"

"Hahaha!" Sayaka had to clutch her sides and double over from her burst of laughter. "Y-Your look..! That f-face..! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

"What was _that _for?!" Kyouko demanded, obviously miffed. Her cheeks burned with anger and humiliation.

"Just some sweet revenge," Sayaka said, still grinning. "But I didn't think that it was gonna work as well as it did. Are you sure that you're not the one that needs to hold my hand?"

"Why you little-!"

Blushing furiously, Kyouko grabbed Sayaka as the two of them tumbled to the ground. They spent the next minute rolling around and grappling on the cobblestone, fighting for control. But soon, due to Kyouko's greater experience and stamina as a fighter and Sayaka's energy having been lost to her continuing bouts of laughter, Kyouko eventually pinned a breathless Sayaka to the ground and straddled her midsection to prevent her escape.

"You have something you wanna say?" Kyouko glared at her prisoner, raising one fist above her head.

A satisfied giggle escaped Sayaka's parted lips. "I didn't know you were this easily embarrassed. How cute-!"

Kyouko leaned closer to Sayaka's face so that the latter could see the seething anger in the former's eyes. "If you say that one more time or tell anyone else what happened, I _swear _I'll kill you."

Even in defeat, Sayaka's eyes twinkled with playfulness. "Ooh, how scary!"

"Oh, you're _so _dead."

"What're you-" Sayaka chanced a look down to see what Kyouko had planned. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw her assailant's hands inching closer to her unprotected sides and slowly realized her inevitable punishment. "Oh no. Oh, you better not Kyouko. Kyouko, I'm serious- HAHAHA!"

Kyouko began her relentless attack on Sayaka, tickling her with as much energy and revenge she could muster. Laughing uncontrollably, Sayaka desperately tried to squirm away, but Kyouko was holding her in place too firmly.

"HAHAHA-! Stop it!" Sayaka managed to shout in-between gasps for air. "Kyouko..! I'm... I'm gonna die!"

This time, it was Kyouko's turn to smirk devilishly. "What's that? Speak clearly, I can't hear you."

"K-Kyouko..! S-Stop! HAHAHA!"

Kyouko gave her an indifferent shrug. "You wanna apologize for earlier first?"

"HAHAHA! I-I'm sorry..! Kyouko... please!"

When she had determined that the punishment had lasted long enough, Kyouko finally let Sayaka free. Sayaka, on her part, breathlessly struggled to inhale all the oxygen her lungs should have been entitled to in the last minute."

"I... I can't breathe..." Sayaka wheezed, curling up into the fetal position. "...I'm gonna die. Tell everyone I love them, and that life is too short to be spent living on the edge."

Kyouko watched over her reprovingly, though her eyes held a faint glimmer of concern. "That'll make you think twice about messing with me, _moron_."

"The opportunity was just too good though," Sayaka said after she had recovered her senses. "I couldn't resist."

"You _still _haven't learnt your lesson?"

"No, well, it's just that that's the first time I saw your cute side," Sayaka mumbled, fidgeting nervously as she absentmindedly played with her bangs. "I just thought it was nice to see a different side to you every once in a while..."

Kyouko turned away to hide the blush that had risen to her cheeks. _"C-Cute..."_

Getting up, Sayaka awkwardly found her footing, still breathless and her mind still foggy. Stumbling over the cobblestone towards Kyouko, she started to leave. "Anyways, you got the charm, right? It's time we finally leave this place-"

She never got to finish her sentence when her foot caught on a brick jutting up from the floor. She tripped, lost her balance, and careened into a nearby column. In that instant, it seemed like everything was going in slow-motion for Kyouko - Sayaka falling helplessly and landing heavily on the ground, the stone pillar crumbling, rubble spraying in every direction as it threatened to fall over on Sayaka's unprotected back...

"Sayaka, watch out!" Kyouko managed as she, without thinking about the consequences, leaped over Sayaka's prostrate body to shield her from the debris. She grunted in pain, feeling the sharp rocks immediately pound her back. After what seemed like an eternity, time resumed its usual pace and the destruction had settled.

"S-Sayaka," Kyouko managed, wincing slightly. First it was her ribs, no thanks to Homura, and now it was her spine. When had this "vacation" turned so life-threatening?! But she could hardly feel the pain as her first priority was to assess Sayaka's situation. _When did I become so... attached to her? _Kyouko wondered, but quickly shook the thought away. "Are you alright?"

Much to her relief, Sayaka was unscathed. Sayaka hesitantly opened one eye, glancing around at the mess she had inadvertently created, and looked at Kyouko. "Y-Yeah... I'm fine."

Kyouko grinned to hide her expression of pain. Her ears were still ringing, but at least no serious damage had been done. "That's good. Jeez, stop worrying me all the time."

"K-Kyouko...!" Sayaka's sudden change in tone grabbed Kyouko's attention, as the latter realized the former was quickly becoming on the verge of tears. "Y-You... For me? W-Why?"

Already knowing what Sayaka was referring to, Kyouko shrugged. She really didn't know herself. What was that inexplicable feeling of dread when Sayaka was in danger that had prompted her to act without thinking? "You..." Kyouko kept her gaze fixed on the ground. "Y-You're kinda special to me, y'know. So be more careful next time."

Sayaka wordlessly nodded, sniffling. Kyouko noticed this, grinned, and gently wiped away her tears. "Jeeeeez... You're completely hopeless without me."

"Kyouko!" Sayaka managed breathlessly, blushing furiously which prompted Kyouko to poke them teasingly. They remained like that for several seconds, still recovering from the adrenaline rush of the moment.

"U-Um, Kyouko," Sayaka finally said. Her cheeks were flushed, and Kyouko could feel her breath quicken beneath her. The moonlight trickled down to her chest. "Y-You're still on top of me..."

The fact that she was still leaning over Sayaka's prostrate body suddenly made Kyouko blush herself. "U-Um, s-sorry. I'll get off now-"

"N-No, it's fine..." Sayaka awkwardly looked away, trailing off inaudibly. The warmth from the other's body and closeness made both of them self-consciously uncomfortable. Then, Sayaka glanced back at Kyouko, gazing deeply into her eyes. Kyouko couldn't resist the adorable look, the vividly blue eyes, the softness of her cheeks, the parted lips... Hesitating, Kyouko leaned closer, Sayaka closed her eyes, and...

"S-Sorry!" Kyouko pulled away at the last second, her heart pounding wildly as blood rushed to her cheeks. _What was she thinking?! _"I-"

"N-No, I'm sorry..." Sayaka said, sitting up and looking away in embarrassment as they remained silent for several awkward seconds.

_W-What? W-What should I say? What should I do?! _Kyouko panicked, her mind steaming when she realized how close she had been to kissing Sayaka. _D-Does she even feel that way about me? D-Do I even feel that way about her?!_

"Kyouko, look..." Sayaka pointed, and Kyouko followed her gaze. They could faintly make out lights beyond the next hill, where excited voices and conversations drifted towards them. It was the Midsummer festival, no doubt.

"S-Should we go?" Sayaka asked, standing up, though she still couldn't meet Kyouko's eyes.

"Y-Yeah." Kyouko replied. They stood next to each other, their hands fidgeting by their sides, reaching, hesitating, reaching, their fingertips gently brushing as they shyly pulled away. "C-Come on. Let's go already!" She said, making up her mind to take Sayaka's hand in her own, who gently complied as they entered the bright lights...

* * *

Somewhere nearby, on the outskirts of the festival, Homura had just left Madoka to buy her a drink when she came across a elatedly smiling Mami.

"Tomoe-san." Homura said, noticing Mami's arrival with an air of confusion. _Didn't she finish the test of courage before us? Why had she gone back? _"What are you-"

A playful smile crept across Mami's lips as she flashed a thumbs-up. "Looks like it was a success!"

"...What?"

Mami sighed. "Isn't young love so great?"

Homura immediately turned on a dime and began striding away, her senses tingling with danger. She didn't have to look past the suspicious-looking, bulging bag of bricks by Mami's feet to know something was wrong.

"...I suppose I'd be better off not knowing."


End file.
